GREENWICH — The former Waterbury soccer coach charged this week with repeatedly sexually assaulting one of his female players previously coached at Greenwich Academy.

Adam Allerton, 42, started the soccer program at Greenwich Academy in 2003, and coached the team there for five years before leaving to take over as girls soccer coach at Chase Collegiate School in Waterbury, according to school officials.

A woman told police that Allerton repeatedly sexually assaulted her while she played for Chase Collegiate and on other teams, starting when she was 14. Allerton coached at the Waterbury school and on travel teams in that city from 2008 to 2013. He was charged by police in Bridgeport — where the assaults allegedly took place — with multiple counts of second- and fourth-degree sexual assault, and was released after posting a $100,000 bond.

At the time of his arrest, Allerton had been coaching youth soccer in Baton Rouge, La.

“It has come to our attention that Adam Allerton, who worked at GA as our varsity soccer coach and occasional sub-varsity squash coach from fall 2003 through fall 2008, has been arrested on charges of sexually assaulting a former student at Chase Collegiate School,” the email read.

“We have no record of inappropriate contact between Mr. Allerton and any of our students, but given his former association with our school, we wanted you to be aware of this situation as soon as it came to our attention.”

The charges came as a shock to retired Greenwich Academy Athletic Director Angela Tammaro, who also coached varsity field hockey and lacrosse at the school for more than 40 years.

“Like everyone else, I was surprised when I saw the article,” Tammaro said. “To the best of my knowledge, there was no evidence of that type of behavior.”

She remembered Allerton as a coach who motivated players and knew soccer well.

“He was a tough, demanding coach who brought out the best in their soccer abilities,” Tammaro said.

The Greenwich Academy soccer team won three league championships and reached the New England Preparatory School Athletic Council Class Tournament four of the five years Allerton was there. In 2005, the team advanced to the NEPSAC Finals.

Allerton was arrested as a fugitive in East Baton Rouge Parish prior to surrendering to police in Bridgeport this week, according to The Advocate newspaper in Baton Rouge.

The assaults allegedly occurred at Allerton’s home on Brewster Street In Bridgeport as well as in his car on the way back to Bridgeport after practices and games at Chase Collegiate.

Bridgeport police said the woman turned over to them recent texts between her and Allerton in which she confronted him with the alleged assaults.

“I honestly believed we were in love,” police said Allerton replied in a text. “I didn’t go looking for that and yes professional (sic) it was crazy but love is crazy.”

Police said the woman subsequently made a telephone call to Allerton that they recorded.

“We just got wrapped up in this together,” police said Allerton explained when the woman asked him why he sexually assaulted her at 14.

Allerton was an assistant coach of the University of Bridgeport’s women’s soccer team from 2012 to 2014.